Category: United Soccer League

Boy. Did not see that one coming. This afternoon instead of announcing a new GM like most of us expected, the Hounds dropped a bomb by announcing Dave Brandt will not be returning in 2018, and that none other than now former Rochester Rhinos head coach Bob Lilley will be taking his place. Cut to my jaw on the floor.

Brandt was coming off a mediocre but improved season with a vision for the future. While there were parts of last season which were frustrating to watch, I think most of us were more than willing to give him another season at the helm and have some stability for the first time in a while. The new(ish) D2 standards had other plans. Brandt apparently couldn’t get his ‘A’ license for whatever reason, and since the USL is pushing for no more USSF waivers,…

Last week the Hounds went to New York and got knocked around by the Baby Bulls which ultimately ended our playoff chances. This week the Hounds came home and got knocked around by the Rhinos which ended up denying us the inaugural Old Guard Shield. Not a great couple weeks for the team. Not a great couple weeks for moral. At least I’m getting some mileage out of this stock photo.

Rochester is Rochester and for whatever reason they’ve had our number for years. There’s nothing really more for me to say. Disappointed silence is probably harsher than whatever I could come up with to write. Congratulations are in store for Charleston and to The Regiment for taking home the Old Guard Shield. It’s a fitting end to the first contest that the co-oldest club took home the hardware.

Well that’s that. The Hounds went to New York and got rocked for a 2-0 loss. Coupled with an Orlando City B victory on Sunday and we’re now mathematically eliminated from the playoffs. It’s a tough pill to swallow after this roller coaster of a season. August went so well only to have everything come crashing down with an abysmal September. Definitely a lot of questions about how the hell everything went so belly up. But, that’s for another time. Playoffs may be done but the season isn’t. There’s still pride to play for. The Hounds are returning to Pittsburgh to close things out with a pair of home games. If you haven’t been paying attention this weekend is actually, and still, a big match. We have the opportunity to win the inaugural edition of the Old Guard Shield with a win…

There isn’t too much that needs to be said. The good guys most likely need to rattle off three straight wins to put themselves in the playoffs. That starts today against the Sugar Free Red Bulls and then concludes at home against Rochester and Ottawa. They’ve had degrees of success against everyone not named Louisville, so to get it all started today is a very doable first step.